Down The Rabbit Hole
by swoodilypooper
Summary: Percy wasn't sure when his life had turned upside down, but it was looking pretty normal about three weeks ago. Now, his mother was married, he has a nerdy new step-dad, two step-sisters: one that, he's convinced, isn't entirely sane, and the other, a sociophobe. What's this? Why is he starting to fall for his step-sister, the shy one who always runs away everytime he comes near?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Percy was not happy.

He supposed that it had all began with check-in back in New York. The creepy looking airport security guard had _fondled_ him, much to his chagrin. He'd given him a crooked smile before going to his mom, but Percy wasn't having any of that; that creep could touch her over his cold, dead body. Then he was stuffed onto an aircraft, which was pretty much just a hollowed out tube of metal that had absolutely no business being airborne. To make matters worse, he was sandwiched between a cranky mother jostling her wailing baby and a young boy that just wouldn't stop talking. Oh, did I mention that he was an aerophobe? So in between his too-loud hyperventilating gasps, the kid next to him was obliviously talking a mile a minute.

"-and it turns out that there was a rat's nest in our car! Haha, can you believe that-"

"No. *gasp* Now, please, for the love of dolphins, _stop talking_."

"Haha, you're funny mister. I think I like you. Mom says not to talk to strangers, but you're not so bad! I guess-"

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and draped his fingers over his eyelids, trying to calm his breathing. Needless to say, it was a long plane ride. When he discovered that there was a storm hovering over San Francisco, and that their plane would be making nihilistic circles for an extra _hour_, he was pretty sure that he was going to pass out. Thirty minutes after _that_, Percy wandered deliriously over to the baggage claim with his over enthusiastic mother. Obviously, their bags were the last ones to drop out of the infernal chute and their clothes seemed to have transformed into anvils or something because he suddenly couldn't pull them off the revolving belt. Then, it turned out that their ride was going to be late, which gave his mother more time to fret.

"Oh, Percy, I look alright, right? I mean, it's been a while since I've seen him, but I want to look my best."

"You look beautiful, mom."

Cue blush. "Aw, honey, you're such a sweetheart! Why don't you have a girlfriend again?"

"..."

"Don't frown like that, honey, or your face will get stuck that way."

"If I could be so lucky," Percy grumbled.

At her persistent nudging, Percy found his threshold for irritation nearing hazardous levels. "_Yes_, mom?"

"Percy, really, you're such a nice boy. I would have thought that you would have brought home a different girl everyday of the week just like your father would when he was your age, not that I approve of that behavior. I've raised you to treat girls with respect-"

"_Mom_! We are not having this conversation right now!"

"Sally! You look as _ravishing_ as ever!"

A light haired man in his mid-forties entered through the automatic doors. Percy took him in, clad in hideous cardigan tucked into a pair of khakis which were secured by belt, dryly. His mom turned twenty years younger and devolved into a blushing, blubbering mess over this unimpressive, bookish man. He was the type of man who, Percy often thought, kept a separate drawer for all of his pencils and a separate one still for his pens. Percy felt his right eye twitch; already off to a swimming start.

His mother pranced over, all giggly and girly, throwing her arms around the man's neck. Percy stifled the irresistible urge to gag. Really, this behavior was unbecoming on a woman entering her forties, but he supposed that he'd better get used to it seeing as how it was going to be happening often for the rest of his life. Dear god, could this day get any worse?

"Oh, Frederick, you flirt, you!" Cue girlish giggle.

The man turned to look at him through thick spectacles, giving him the appearance of an overgrown bug. "Hiya, sport! You can call me- oh, wait, _dad_!"

Apparently it could.

It got worse. Percy stared disbelievingly at the neglected, rusty brown Oldsmobile. Mr. Chase was standing beside him, his arms crossed. He looked at Percy with a smile. "Yesiree, the old gal certainly holds up well, ages like wine, better with age."

Percy gave him an expression as if to say _you've got to be kidding me_. Apparently, the message didn't come across because Mr. Chase leaned in closer to him. "If you follow all the rules, I might even let you drive her to school," he said conspiratorially.

The teen resisted the urge to release a hysterical laugh, so the sound ended up more of an unattractive gurgle in the back of his throat. Mr. Chase clapped him on his back roughly, probably thinking along the lines of burping a baby. The effect made Percy cough and gasp for air.

"There there; let it all out son."

Yeah, it could _definitely_ get worse.

~oOo~

Percy struggled with the luggage as he walked unsteadily up the stairs leading to the house. Mr. Chase had tried to lift the luggage himself, but the poor man was so weak that Percy had told him that he would handle it, out of sheer sympathy. He teetered into the room and dropped the last bag unceremoniously onto the ground before sighing in relief and massaging his sore arms. Percy took in a second to drink in his surroundings.

"At least the house is big," he mumbled. Ah, teenage boys and their profound thoughts.

His mom and his step-dad were doing something in the kitchen that involved a lot of giggling. Percy didn't even want to know. It was like a story out of some cheesy soap opera. Single, struggling mother meets bookish, visiting college professor one day at the library, and then they talk and then there were meetings for coffee and dates every weekend and- _Wham_!

"We're getting_ married!_"

"You met _three weeks ago_."

It was all so sudden. Percy held a hand against his forehead. He was pretty sure that he'd seen a gray hair in the mirror the other night. It was official - his life had turned into a story book, Alice in Wonderland style. Percy wasn't sure when his journey down the rabbit hole had began, but he was pretty sure that it had started somewhere around - oh, let's see - three weeks ago. Up until then, he was just your average teenager, maybe even a little _too_ average. He had decent grades, some friends, but not enough to brag about, average appearance that wasn't going to reel in any Jennifer Lawrence's or Emma Stone's anytime soon, and he was a pretty good swimmer - pretty much your cookie cutter teenage guy.

Percy was pretty happy with being average. The way he saw it, average meant that there was still fifty percent of the population that was _below_ him. I guess you could say that he was a cup half full kind of guy. Right now, however, someone had snatched his cup, drank his milk, and _married_ his cup to boot. Things could happily go back the way they used to be, please. He sighed. _That_ wasn't going to happen, but he could always dream.

Mr. Chase padded back into the foyer, his mother close behind. Percy allowed himself a half-smile. At least this guy would treat his mom well, even if he was a little too much of a nerd that hadn't grown up. Personally, he thought that his mother could have done better, but at least he made her happy, and, he begrudgingly thought, if she was happy, he guessed that he should be too. After all, his mother definitely deserved happiness ever since his biological father had run off with his secretary.

There was a sudden sound like an earthquake, and then- _Thump_!

Percy blinked. Where had this black haired Latina girl come from? Foolishly, he craned his neck up the stairs in front of him and saw another girl, a blonde, half-hiding behind her door, peering down simultaneously shyly and inquisitively at him. When Percy met her eyes, she blushed and darted completely behind the door, slamming it shut completely. Percy forced himself to focus back on the mysterious floor jumping girl.

She drew herself up to full height and fixed a half-manic obsidian eye on him. "Have _you_ seen Winston, Chancellor of Exchequer, III?" she asked.

"Uh, no?" Percy said, thoroughly confused.

The girl wrinkled her nose. "I thought so," she sniffed. "You don't seem like an _observant_ person."

"Reyna, be nice," Mr. Chase admonished.

Reyna, the girl, turned to Mr. Chase indignantly. "Why, I've never been more offended in my entire life, Frederick, dearest. I practically _ooze_ compassion," she said, sounding miffed.

His step-dad chuckled. "Of course, of course."

She nodded in a clipped fashion before turning back to face Percy, poor boy, who was still horribly confused. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go find the Chancellor before he gets into mischief," she said haughtily before nodding once more and departing.

Percy turned to Mr. Chase, a question in his eyes. "That's Reyna, my daughter."

Okay, so Percy wasn't the smartest guy on the planet, but he was still pretty sure that Mr. Chase wasn't hispanic. "We adopted her."

"Oh," Percy said.

"My other daughter is upstairs. She's a bit shy, I'm afraid. You should go introduce yourself," he suggested.

Seeing as how he had nothing better to do, he shrugged and set off to do just that. He walked up the stairs and went straight to the door that he had seen the blonde girl hiding behind earlier. Percy had only ever lived with his mother before, so it was quite understandable that he didn't think to knock when he barged into the room as was his wont. He had no more taken a single step when he froze, his pupils dilating to maximum capacity.

There was the blonde standing by the window, staring back at him with equal horror. The problem arose from her attire, or lack of it. She was dressed in just a sheer gray shirt with a cartoon owl on the center, but the shirt was so sheer and so form fitting that it left little to imagination. Even worse, the girl wasn't wearing any pants, simply silver panties. Hey! _She was pretty_- _Whump_!

Percy staggered against the weight of the pillow that had just been hurled at him. He had lowered it for a second before the blonde girl reached him and shoved him out of her room with surprising strength. Percy blinked when the door slammed shut in front of him.

_What the hell?_

* * *

**A/N: Y'all are going to kill me, but this is a new multi-chapter story. I'm trying something a little bit different by making things a little funnier and having a more "unconventional" family. I'm not sure where this is headed just yet, but I'm throwing this out there. "Second Chance" is officially on hold for a while, same with "Language of Love" because my muse has escaped, so you're stuck with this for the time being. The chapters will be longer in the future, but this is just a prologue to reel you all in. I hope you like it, and as always: Follow, Favorite, and Review. Thank you!**


	2. Pets

**Pets**

"You own a _lion_?!"

"White lion, to be precise."

"ASDGHAADFGH- A _lion_?"

"Are you always this eloquent, brother, dearest?"

"Do close your mouth, honey; you'll swallow a fly."

To say Percy was dumbfounded would have been an understatement. He had assumed that when the wild eyed Latina girl, his new step-sister Reyna, had inquired about her pet, he thought she maybe meant a dog or a cat; maybe a parakeet if she was into that kind of thing. He certainly hadn't imagined a baby lion cub curled on top of a bean bag chair in the living room, chewing a stuffed dog. The irony of the image merited a whole other topic entirely, but seriously, a _lion_?

Reyna seemed completely at ease, scratching behind Winston, Chancellor of Exchequer, the Third's ears. Percy quickly discovered that the title was of utmost importance; otherwise Winston would growl, and that had made him nearly piss his pants the first time it had happened. Percy knew that this whole "new family" deal was going to be a little strange, but he was expecting conforming to the schedules and habits of his new found family to have been the focal point. He wasn't expecting his step-sister to be bat shit crazy. Wasn't she scared that - gee maybe, just _maybe_ - the lion might_ eat her_? Nope, apparently that wasn't a plausible notion in the slightest.

When Percy had suggested the option of buying a quote end quote normal pet, Reyna (and Winston more importantly) had looked up at him with such indignant expressions that it was as though he had suggested punching a baby.

"Why, Percy, I have _never_ been more- I can't speak to you, yup, that's it. You've offended me and my baby. I'll have you know that Winston's pride has been fatally wounded. I wouldn't be surprised if you find your clothes in tatters when you wake up tomorrow morning," Reyna said, quite flustered. Winston look up from Reyna's lap and fixed him a stern glare, as if to say "She's right you know; expect me."

"I'm more worried about my body being in tatters-" Percy began.

Reyna gasped obscenely, clutching Winston's head towards her chest, like a protective mother. "Percy, how dare you?! Winston isn't a _savage_, for heaven's sake. He's of a purer breed than the riff-raff you see crawling about zoos; no, Winston doesn't _crawl_, he _struts_. Really, only one day in the family and already making enemies."

Percy opened his mouth to say something before thinking better of it. Seeing as how all semblance of sanity had been abandoned circa three weeks ago, he decided that safest option would be to play this _in communicado_. How his mother was fine with this was beyond him; apparently, it didn't startle her that her new step-daughter had a bloodthirsty carnivore as a pet. No biggie - don't mind the king of the animal kingdom lounging around in the living room like all was right with the world.

Mr. Chase, err-his step-dad was in the kitchen, wearing aviator goggles and playing with what looked suspiciously like toy planes. Now if his mother decided to sprout two more heads and confess to have been hiding a secret passion for Irish river dancing, then maybe things would start getting interesting (see sarcasm).

The only family member absent from the festivities was Annabeth, the girl that had so deftly nailed him with a pillow. Percy blushed at the thought. Hey! It wasn't his fault that he hadn't thought to knock before entering a room - he never had to do it before. It was a complete accident that he had walked in on her wearing lingerie; he wasn't a pervert or anything.

"Honey, you're blushing," his mother chided in a sing-song manner, looking up at him from her novel in amusement.

At her voice, his blush only deepened. He had yet to tell them of that particular fiasco, and Neptune willing, he never would. "Where's Annabeth?" he asked, trying to change the subject. And it wasn't like he wasn't curious or anything; he did want badly to apologize to her. Gods, she probably thought that he was some sort of creep. Imagine your first meeting with your new step-brother occurring sans pants. He could only guess at how embarrassed she must have been, but at least she hadn't been in the wrong, unlike him.

"Probably upstairs, doodling and whatnot," Reyna said, thoroughly focused on rubbing the Chancellor's belly.

Percy stood up, wanting to get away from the scene before his head began hurting too much. "I'll go upstairs and say hello," he said breezily.

Reyna looked up at him, eyes wide. "Oh, I wouldn't do that."

He frowned. "Why not?"

Her eyes darted towards the stairs as if to check if the coast was clear before she leaned towards him conspiratorially, the effect ruined by the still some ten foot distance between them. "Annabeth spooks very easily around new people. You have to give her a while to get used to you."

Percy didn't see how this made any sense. "But how would she get used to me if I never talk to her?"

Reyna pursed her lips before groaning in exasperation. "Fine, geez, do whatever you want! You're so pushy."

At this, Percy blinked and suppressed the urge to laugh hysterically. Right, _he_ was pushy; said the girl that asked, nay _demanded_, her pet be addressed with the title of Chancellor. Shaking his head, Percy left the living room and started up the stairs. This time, when he reached Annabeth's door, he decided that it would be a good idea to knock, and knock he did.

A few seconds later, the door opened just enough for him to see one inquisitive, too-large gray eye, obscured slightly by honey blond waves of hair. The eye blinked once languorously before widening in alarm and recognition. Percy jammed his foot in between the door and its frame, anticipating Annabeth's move to slam the door on him once again.

"Ouch! Geez, Annabeth, I just came to say hi and that I was sorry; you didn't have to maim me!" Percy whined, gritting his teeth in pain.

He heard a little giggle from behind the door, and the door opened once more, this time all the way. Thankfully, this time, Annabeth was wearing pants and a top that didn't compromise her innocence, to put such sentiments poetically. Percy clutched at his foot and hopped into her room, much to her amusement. It was amazing how expressive Annabeth's eyes were - he could practically see the mirth sparkling in those pools of liquid silver.

Taking the opportunity to actually study her properly, Percy was half-mortified, half-delighted to realize that his initial assessment of her was indeed accurate: she was pretty. Annabeth had a certain "girl next door" kind of charm going on, exactly the type of girls that he often crushed on. Her clothing choices left a little to be desired, Percy supposed. Dressed in her too-large, lumpy black sweater that went down to her knees and ratty jeans, two sizes too long, Annabeth was dressing to kind of hide herself in fabric.

When he realized that Annabeth was looking at him expectantly, Percy offered her a smile that probably ended up looking like he had suffered an aneurism of some sort. "I, uh, just wanted to say that I was sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, _you know_-" Percy stammered, suddenly awkward.

Annabeth looked at him blankly so Percy wasn't sure if she understood him or not. He sighed before continuing, cheeks turning scarlet, "You know- seeing you?" Percy trailed off, hoping that she would get the hint. Her still blank expression made him groan.

"Fine! I'll say it: seeing you half-naked," Percy said, thoroughly exasperated.

A slow redness crept into Annabeth's cheeks, and she began to twirl a strand of her hair around her finger, looking down resolutely at the ground. Percy stood there awkwardly waiting for her to respond when he heard Reyna bellowing from downstairs.

"Annie, sister of my heart, would you kindly help me with the dishes?!"

Annabeth sped past him wordlessly, and Percy stood for a second in her room. It was decorated minimalistically with a normal looking bed hugging the wall, a closet for her clothes, and a desk hiding off against the corner of the room. Percy walked forwards to look at the piece of paper on her desk. He picked it up and oriented it so that he could see it better, and his mouth dropped wide open. It was a freehand drawing of some buildings that looked like they belonged in early-twentieth century France, but the attention to detail was astounding. There were flowers hanging in baskets off the edges of the apartments, chipped cobblestones along the ground, and a clocktower off in the horizon.

Percy heard a gasp behind him and he turned to see Annabeth barreling over to him as fast as she could. Before he could process what was happening, Annabeth had shoved him into the wall, hard, and had stolen the paper away. Groaning in pain, Percy opened his eyes to see Annabeth staring sternly at him, blush in her cheeks. Furiously, she jabbed her finger in the direction of the door, clearly telling him that he had overstayed his welcome.

"Uh, sorry. I just thought that the drawing was really cool. Did you draw that?" he asked.

Annabeth lowered her finger, her eyes taking on a cautious, yet hopeful tone. She nodded once slowly, looking thoroughly suspicious. Percy smiled widely at her; good, they were finally making progress.

"Well, it's really _really_ good," he said, stressing his admiration.

In response, Annabeth hugged her drawing to her chest, a blush once again creeping into her cheeks. Percy stepped closer slowly, trying not to scare her off. He understood what Reyna meant; the girl was flighty, but he was determined to make a good impression on her. After all, they were going to be family for the conceivable future, and it wouldn't do to have _both_ siblings hating his guts.

"You should, like, send that in to a gallery or something."

At this, Annabeth's eyes dilated comically and she shook her head no furiously. Before he had the chance to apologize, Annabeth once again, shoved him out of her room. Percy was left staring blankly at her door, hoping this wasn't going to be a routine occurrence.

~oOo~

Since they hadn't gone shopping yet, Percy still didn't have a bed. Therefore, he had to sleep on the sofa. The sofa offered no lumbar support whatsoever, so it was only natural that his back started to hurt insanely. He woke up in the middle of the night with a groan, sitting up as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. With a yawn, he stood up and went to grab a glass of water. He nearly died of shock when he saw Annabeth curled up on the other sofa, scribbling furiously in her sketch pad.

"Holy!"

"You drool in your sleep."

Percy blinked. It was the first time Annabeth had spoken. Her voice was terribly soft; it was a struggle to even hear her. He looked at her in the darkness and noticed that she wasn't even looking up from her notepad.

"You can talk," Percy said in surprise.

At this, Annabeth did look up, a confused look on her face. "Of course I can."

"Then why didn't you talk before?" Percy asked.

Annabeth pursed her lips, or at least, Percy thought so, but he couldn't be sure in the darkness. "I-I don't like talking much," she said softly.

"Oh. Well, between you and me, I'm not too good at talking either," Percy offered. "Reyna seems pretty good at it."

"Yeah," Annabeth said, her voice heavy with sadness.

Percy blinked. He was still really tired, and he was getting kind of thirsty, but he was still wondering just what Annabeth was doing up. "What're you doing up so late?"

"I can't sleep."

"You could have a glass of water something."

"No, I'm an insomniac."

"Oh," Percy said. He didn't really know what to say so he decided to change the subject. "What're you drawing?"

Silence. "Y-You," she stammered.

"Cool! Can I see?" Percy asked eagerly, leaning towards her.

Annabeth turned away from him, clutching her notepad tightly. She was shaking her head furiously no. Percy was still confused and it was dark so he moved closer to her causing Annabeth to panic and jump out of her chair. She raced away, running up the stairs without making a sound, leaving Percy in the darkness, wondering just what had happened.

* * *

**A/N: White Lions are the most expensive domestic pets - true story. I had Coldstone today, so I am a happy boy. Reyna's pretty boss, but that's no surprise. I hope you liked the chapter, and as always: Follow, Favorite, and Review! **


	3. School

**School**

The first day of school was conducted with much fanfare and frippery. Sally had gone all out on the breakfast: pancakes, cereal, toast, waffles, fruit salad, eggs three different ways, and more. As Percy ravenously stuffed himself, savoring his mother's culinary gift, Reyna and Annabeth looked at him with expressions that could only be described mildly as absolute horror. The two girls picked at their food, and while they did think everything tasted nice, they weren't about to start stuffing themselves anytime soon.

Mr. Chase, however, approved of Percy's table manners, or lack thereof. "A guy's gotta eat," was all he had to say before going back to playing with his model planes.

Percy nodded vigorously in agreement as Reyna fixed him a bewildered stare. Annabeth smiled softly, but otherwise shrunk as much as she could into her chair. "I hope you choke," Reyna said, scrunching her nose in disgust.

"Ey, das rufe," Percy said through bites of toast, a frown on his face.

Reyna smirked. "Do try to speak English, Perseus. I'm afraid _I_ don't speak Neanderthal."

At this, Percy glowered. "I said, 'that's rude,' and you've only reinforced that opinion," he said.

Reyna widened her eyes as if in surprise. "Wow! Three syllable words already? And they said it couldn't be done."

"Do stop teasing him, dear. He's only a boy," Sally chimed, bustling about the kitchen.

Percy groaned. "Mom! I'm sixteen!"

Sally turned over her shoulder, a soft smile on her face. "And you'll _always_ be my baby."

Cue another groan. Annabeth let out a little giggle. Everyone else turned to stare at her, mystified that she had made a sound. Poor Annabeth only shrank further in her chair, her cheeks turning crimson. She wished desperately to turn invisible, but, alas, no such luck. At Reyna's loud, "Ahem," everyone returned to what they were doing, sparing Annabeth any further embarrassment. The blond gave her sister a grateful glance as the latter nodded in acknowledgement.

The three teens gathered their belongings and made for the bus stop before Mr. Chase called Percy back in. "Here you go, my boy!" he said, beaming as he tossed Percy the keys to the Oldsmobile.

"Bring it back in one piece, eh?" he continued with a wink.

Percy smiled politely, or at least, he tried to. "Uh, I think I'll take the bus today. You know, to get to know some other kids, make friends, teen stuff," he explained.

Mr. Chase's smile never wavered. "Alrighty then! Have a good day at school, kiddo!"

"Sure, uh, dad?" Percy said, trailing off like he was asking a question. He closed the door behind him and ran to the bus stop, hoping against hope that his school and the other kids would at least be relatively normal as compared to his family.

Not the case.

In fact, Percy began to wonder if he had accidentally fallen down a rabbit hole and had sprouted in Wonderland. The first thing that happened when he set foot at the bus stop was an immediate confrontation with two mischievous boys that looked like twins.

"I'm Travis!" the taller one said.

The shorter one said, "And I'm Connor!"

Together, with much bravado, pomp and circumstance, they jubilantly declared: "And we're THE STOLLS!" They stretched out the "we're" to sound like some sort of game show host.

"But we're _not_ twins!" Travis added gleefully.

_Good god._

Percy's face became a mask of unadulterated confusion. This must be Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, he thought idly to himself. Was there no end to this insanity? It was like living in a waking nightmare. So they looked completely alike, had the same last name, but they _weren't_ twins? Good grief. Percy felt like Charlie Brown.

Reyna rolled her eyes. "Not in the morning, morons. You have the rest of the day to be stupid."

Travis looked at his friend with a smirk while Connor blushed profusely. "You've wounded my friend, Reyna. And here he was, about to profess his undying love for you," Travis said, his voice grave and laden with melodrama.

Connor's face transformed into a look of sheer horror before fixing a violent glare that could have withered steel towards his friend. Reyna gave off a little snort only increasing the shorter Stoll's distress. Annabeth was hiding behind a stop sign, clutching at her backpack so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Percy frowned taking in the bizarre spectacle; if only Winston the Chancellor of Exchequer were here to round out the entourage.

And all this _before_ the bus got here.

Now he understood why Annabeth was so terrified. Percy sighed; it was going to be a long, _long_ day.

* * *

Third period was probably the pinnacle of absurdity in Percy's entire day; it started with a horse mask, a paraplegic, and Nancy Bobofit.

Percy was just being a normal person, his head still reeling from the events he had to endure earlier in the day. There was an honest to god _sword fight_ that had occurred outside the school, in the courtyard, and when the principle wandered by, he had merely sipped a glass of very dark colored grape juice (at least, Percy _hoped_ it was grape juice) before walking away without a word.

Anyhow, Percy entered his World History class and had sat two rows from the back to blend in. Sitting in the last row was for the stoners and the druggies. Second to last row was reserved for your cheerleaders and jocks. Third row was left for the kids that wanted to blend in, which is why it wasn't that surprising that Annabeth was already seated to the extreme left corner in the third row, right besides the window.

When she noticed that he was in her class, instead of greeting him, she turned the color of a beet, as if his very presence was an embarrassment to her. Percy idly debated whether or not he should go talk to her. They had talked a couple times over the last few days, always at night, when Annabeth wanted to draw him but would stop the second he woke up. She refused to continue drawing him once he was awake, but she was too polite to ask him to go back to try to sleep, instead listening quietly as he blabbered away about trying to adjust to the family.

Percy decided to spare her for the moment and left her to her own devices, which in this case meant cowering behind a three-ring binder. By this time, the rest of the class had filtered in, a collection of oddities and circus freaks. The Stolls were both in his class as was Reyna; poor Connor was following the girl like a stray dog, but Reyna was thoroughly oblivious. Travis traipsed after the pair of them, a malevolent smirk on his face. Reyna's flair for melodrama actually helped endear her to her peers as opposed to repelling or annoying them. Reyna was arguably the most popular girl in school, and when she went bitch mode, people ate it up.

Percy pitied the poor soul that would have to end up dating someone as articulately barbed as her.

Thank god Annabeth was there to balance her out, but then again, Annabeth balanced her out a little too well; whereas Reyna never shut up, Annabeth couldn't do anything else. God forbid a teacher called on her during class to answer a question. Percy had seen that unmitigated tragedy unfold during first period in Biology class. Annabeth had devolved into a blubbering, blushing mess, staring resolutely at her binder as though it continued the answer to the universe's secrets. At least the rest of the school was understanding about her, and they didn't make fun of her or anything.

Our tale begins once everyone had more or less settled in. The door suddenly burst open and in rolled a man in a wheelchair, wearing a horse mask.

"I AM CHIRON - TRAINER OF HEROES, MAKER OF LEGENDS!" he bellowed.

Well shit. Percy had no clue what was going on, but the rest of the class clapped and cheered as though such an occurrence was, dare I say it, _normal_. The man removed his horse mask, a triumphant grin on his face. Percy thought that he looked like a scholarly Zach Galifianakis. From his pocket, he brandished a bronze pen.

"Who can tell me what this is?" he challenged.

The class stared at the pen like it was some sort of alien object that demanded intricate philosophical explanation. The man surveyed his charge before settling his gaze upon Percy. He pointed directly at him, a look of utmost seriousness upon his face.

"You, what is your name, my boy?"

"Um, Percy?" Percy replied, sounding more questioning than stating.

The man continued. "Greetings 'Um, Percy.' Tell me: what am I holding?"

Percy frowned. "Uh, a pen?"

"Speak with more conviction, my boy! Is it a pen or isn't it?" he demanded.

"It's a pen," Percy remedied.

"Aha!" the man stated jubilantly. "That is where _you_ are wrong!"

He uncapped the pen, which revealed a butter knife. "It's a butter knife!"

Percy was about ready to flip a table. Was there a single normal person in this town? Was that too much too ask of anyone? He heard a snort behind him, causing him to turn. The snorter in question was a girl with hair that looked like it had been marinated in mud.

"Loser," she sneered.

"Hi, I'm Percy. Nice to meet you too," Percy deadpanned.

Her eyes narrowed. "Ooh, a smart alec, huh? Nancy Bobofit, dipshit. Now turn the fuck around."

Percy complied, grumbling under his breath, "Friendly aren't we?"

The teacher continued. "You see my friends, you all _thought_ it was a pen, but it was _actually_ a butter knife. Things often aren't always as they seem, and the same is true with history. We don't know all the facts, and we probably never will. History is a forest of uncertainty, and I, my friends, am your guide. You can call me Mr. Brunner, now, let's begin!"

Mr. Brunner continued to give the most bizarre lecture that Percy had ever heard in his life, but he somehow took notes anyways. He was going about his business, learning and all that boring nonsense, when out of the blue, some hoodlum poked him with a pencil, lead side up. He turned around with a frown. It was Nancy Bobofit. He was about to say something, but then, his world suddenly went brown. What the actual hell? Did that girl just slap him with a peanut butter coated sandwich?

Percy wiped the bread off his face as she snickered. He fixed her a stern glare before attempting to stand up to go to the bathroom to wash his face off. _Somehow_, his shoes were mysteriously tied together and so he ended up tripping the second he took a step. Naturally, teenagers, being the devious little sadists that they are, started to roar with laughter, only making him more distraught. It was in that second that he had a sudden realization, an epiphany if you will:

If everybody was batshit crazy, and _he_ was the odd one out, didn't that make him the crazy one? Good god. If this was Wonderland, Percy realized with horror, that made _him_ the Mad Hatter.

* * *

It was about midnight when Percy woke up, suffering once again from a terrible knot in his back from the lumpy sofa. He groaned as he massaged the affected area, wondering balefully just when he was going to get a bed. He would have shared a bed with Annabeth or Reyna, but they were so abnormal in the first place that he didn't want to risk it. Sitting up completely, he gave himself a second to adjust to the darkness and noticed that Annabeth had occupied her usual spot in the dark, curled on top of the sofa. Her pencil was frozen mid-stroke as she stared at his chest intensely.

"Good morning," Percy groused. Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"Is school always this weird?" he asked, sitting back. Annabeth nodded once again.

Percy groaned. "I was afraid you'd say- err, nod that?"

"Nancy is mean," Annabeth said suddenly, her voice feather-soft.

Percy blinked. "Yeah, I kind of got that when she slapped me with a PB&J," he said.

Annabeth blushed so profusely, it was visible through the dark. "I-I am just saying," she stammered, already tensing to run away to her room.

Percy sighed, draping his fingers over his closed eyelids. "I'm sorry for being sarcastic. It's just that I'm kind of tired, I guess."

Annabeth remained silent for a little while before saying, "I wish I could be tired."

He looked at her. "It's not as fun as you think it is," he said dryly.

The blond shook her head. "You have never had insomnia, you do not know. It is really bad," she said.

Percy frowned. "Do you ever use contractions?"

A look of surprise crossed her face. "Why? Is that a social norm?"

"Well, it sounds more normal."

"Okay. I will try."

Percy's frown deepened. "See? You just did it again."

"I am sorry."

He sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere with this conversation. "When's the last time you got some sleep?"

Annabeth looked at him thoughtfully. "I have not slept properly in a long time. I cannot remember when," she said, sounding disconcerted, as though she were only noticing for the first time.

There was a brief silence. "Do you think you could talk to me in school? Everyone else is kind of weird," Percy asked.

"I am weird too," Annabeth whispered, her voice even quieter.

"You're not weird; you're just different," Percy said thoughtfully.

Annabeth looked intensely at his chest still. "I sense you are not lying, but I still do not believe you. I cannot talk to people. People scare me."

"Well, to be honest, people scare me too," Percy said.

A delicate frown appeared on her face. "Then how do you talk to them?"

"Just like you are now."

Her frown deepened. "You... you are different. I can talk to you because you do not judge me and because you do not lie. You are easy to understand."

"I feel like you just called me a simpleton and that I should be insulted," Percy deadpanned.

"No, it just means that you are honest. I think that is a compliment," Annabeth said.

"How do you know I'm honest?" Percy asked.

"Because your body cannot lie to me."

"What does that mean?" Percy asked, frowning.

Annabeth took a deep, shaky breath. This was clearly trying for her. In fact, she had said more in this night alone than she had since he'd gotten here. Percy was glad though. Annabeth was the most normal of the bunch, and he was fond of her for some reason that he couldn't place. Maybe because she felt just as out of place as he did.

"I like the dark better than the light because I can see better than everyone else when it is dark. Mom was the same way," she said cryptically. Her tone was flat, relaying information matter-of-factly. Percy didn't understand what she meant by that, but he supposed it made sense. In the dark, he couldn't see her clearly, but she could see him almost perfectly. Any subconscious tics that he was demonstrating wouldn't go unseen by her.

Before Percy could say anything, Annabeth stood up quickly and ran stealthily to her room, scarcely making a sound. Percy pursed his lips. He had a lot to think about.

* * *

**A/N: So there's finally some serious stuff about Annabeth's sociophobia. I'll be honest: I haven't researched sociophobia like I have aphasia or cancer, so I might be completely off, but I'm not trying hard to be accurate. If any of you have pertinent information to supplement the story, then that's welcome, but if it's like "Lol, your story is completely wrong," then I don't care. People have been asking, so I'll clear it up, there will be no love triangle with Percy, Reyna, and Annabeth - this is solely Percy and Annabeth. Anyhow, I hope you like the chapter, and as always: Follow, Favorite, and Review!**


	4. Drive

**Drive**

Percy saw Annabeth at the dining table that morning. Words threatened to spill from his mouth like rushing water through a break in a reservoir. He wanted to ask her about what she meant about seeing in the darkness. What exactly happened to Annabeth's biological mother? Percy felt that there was something important to all that, maybe it might offer a little more insight into why she was the way that she was. Annabeth ate quickly and left the table early, leaving Reyna and Percy alone. To him, this was prime time to ask about his mysterious step-sister.

"Hey," Percy said, "Reyna."

"Mhmm?"

After making sure that the coast was clear, he asked, "What's up with Annabeth?"

Reyna looked at him, her eyes boring into his skull. "Why do you want to know?" There was an edge of defensiveness in her tone.

"I'm just trying to figure you guys out."

She sighed, then looked around as well to make sure Annabeth wasn't around. "I don't know, really. She was like that before Frederick adopted me. Annabeth just doesn't talk much. What I do know is that it isn't because of any biological issues, and her psychological state is perfectly fine."

Percy frowned. "Isn't there speech therapy and stuff for this?"

Reyna shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, but Frederick would have tried everything he possibly could. He might not show it, but he adores Annabeth since she's his only child. I think he's just as worried as the rest of us, but there's not much to be done, I'm afraid."

It was around this time that Annabeth came down the stairs again, which instantly made Reyna and Percy stop conversing. They each paid an unnatural amount of attention to their breakfasts as Annabeth stealthily navigated herself to the kitchen island to pick up her lunch. Percy had no clue how she could move so silently; it was a little scary. The house was so old that whenever everyone walked, there would inevitably be creaks and groans, but Annabeth moved noiselessly. It puzzled him.

He looked at her as she walked to the front door and noticed how her feet seemed to find certain spots on the floor. It struck him that she had memorized all the dead spots on the floor where she could walk without making any noise. He confessed himself to be impressed. Annabeth slipped on her ballet flats and exited the house a good twenty minutes early. Percy shrugged and deposited his now empty plates into the sink, getting himself ready for school as well.

~oOo~

It was lunchtime and Percy was standing idly in the line, thinking about something or other. Inadvertently, he shivered when he saw Nancy Bobofit laughing a table full of future convicts. He had World History next period. Great Scott. Shaking his head, he went back to standing in the lunch line, trying his best to remove the feeling of dread pooling in his stomach.

He couldn't.

A few minutes later, Percy walked out of the line, tray in hand, looking for a table. He had sat by himself the day before, and he wasn't too keen on doing so again. Scanning the cafeteria, he couldn't find any of the kids that he had sort of taken a liking to yesterday. However, he did find Annabeth sitting by herself at a table, nibbling daintily at a sandwich. He decided that he would give her some company. As he walked, he noticed some boys scattered around the cafeteria stealing glances at Annabeth. He smiled to himself. At least he wasn't the only one that thought his step-sister was pretty.

When he sat down, Annabeth squirmed uneasily in her chair. "Please, don't leave," Percy said. "I don't know anyone else, and I really don't want to have lunch by myself."

Annabeth nodded, still looking thoroughly uncomfortable. Percy ate his lunch slowly, thinking of possible conversation topics as she stared resolutely at her sandwich, refusing to look at him. He was just about to say something when Annabeth started to riffle through her backpack. She pulled out her sketchpad and hugged it close to her chest.

"I finished drawing you this morning," Annabeth whispered.

Percy's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, you finished already?"

She nodded in affirmation, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Her huge gray eyes peered up from her notebook shyly. "W-Would you like to see?" she asked.

He was taken aback. "Of course! I would love to see!" he said.

Annabeth started handing him her sketchpad before she suddenly took it back, fixing him a suspicious glare. "You have to promise not to laugh," she warned.

Percy nodded vigorously in assent. Annabeth handed him the pad and flipped to a certain page, but Percy could see hundreds and hundreds of drawings blurring past as she did. He primarily saw buildings and architectural monuments, but there were a couple pictures of Frederick and Reyna. He might have also spied one from Sally and Frederick's wedding day, but he couldn't be sure. At last, Annabeth made it to his page and sat back in her chair, blushing so profusely that she looked like a tomato.

The drawing was a perfect likeness of him, almost eerie in its detail. All the contours of his face, the subtle quirks in his expression - everything - was captured perfectly. There was still something else though in the portrait, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was only after a couple more seconds that he realized what it was. Annabeth had somehow managed to capture his personality on paper as well. Percy could see how lost he looked, yet how there was still some quiet optimism to balance out his exasperation at the sudden turn his life had taken. Overall, it managed to convey the _uncertainty_ that he felt inside him much better than even a mirror could have.

Percy looked up with an expression that could only be described as awe. Annabeth was staring holes into the table, and her face was a deep scarlet color. Percy set the sketchpad onto the table reverently and slid it to her.

"It's really really good, Annabeth," he said earnestly, his eyes soft.

Annabeth looked to her side and nodded curtly. "I really mean it. It meant something to me," he reiterated.

"Really?" Annabeth asked, peering up at him.

"Yeah! You have a gift," Percy said.

Annabeth squirmed in her chair. "I-I do not know about that," she stammered nervously.

Percy didn't say anything, or rather he didn't have anything to say. He knew that Annabeth was just naturally shy and as such, she probably found it embarrassing to take credit for her accomplishments. He guessed that he could understand. Annabeth stood up quickly and left Percy alone at the table, deep in thought.

~oOo~

The bus dropped all three of them off at home. School activities had yet to start, so none of them had any business or desire to stay at the school longer than they had to. It was then that Percy decided to execute the master plan that had been brewing inside his head for the majority of the day after lunch. He pulled Annabeth aside as Reyna walked on. Annabeth gave a yelp of surprise and fixed her large silver eyes fearfully on her new step-brother.

"Do you trust me?" Percy asked, his voice a dramatic hushed tone.

Annabeth shook her head no. Percy rolled his eyes. "Well, do you want to have some fun?" he asked.

The blonde looked around her as if to make sure no one was watching. "W-What kind of fun?" she asked, her voice fearful.

A mischievous glint entered Percy's eyes, and his lips quirked upwards. "The fun kind."

And that's how Annabeth found herself cowering in the front seat of the Oldsmobile as Percy drove them along the interstate. Annabeth made slight whimpering sounds in her seat, which either Percy chose to willfully ignore or simply couldn't hear. However, to an observant bystander, Percy's hands were clutching the steering wheel so hard that his hands turned white. Without warning, Percy turned on the radio which blasted some sugary pop music. Annabeth stared at him, still curled into a little ball.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" Percy bellowed, his voice terrible. Annabeth blinked. "RUNNING ROUND LEAVING SCAAARRSS!"

He turned to give Annabeth a glance. "COLLECTING YOUR JAR OF HEARTS AND TEARING LOVE APART!" he sang raucously.

Annabeth covered her mouth with her hand, concealing a smile that was threatening to split across her face. Percy nodded at her, encouraging her to sing along with him, but she shook her head furiously no, so he continued.

"YOU'RE GONNA CATCH A COLD!"

Percy and Annabeth spent two hours driving around literally doing nothing other than singing (well only Percy was singing) to terrible pop songs on the radio. Annabeth relaxed a lot more after Percy started screaming/singing, smiling openly now as she pressed her cheek against the cold glass of the window, staring out at the Pacific as they drove by. Percy sang on even though his voice was growing slightly hoarse, and the Oldsmobile sputtered along the highway.

The sun began to set on the Pacific, illuminating the entire sea with a golden orange glow. Percy pulled over to the side of the road and hopped out, leaning brightly against the railing. Annabeth trailed after him, tentatively shuffling beside him. Percy grinned as he stared at the sea before giving her a glance.

"You know, we never had this in New York," he said.

Annabeth gave him a questioning glance, so he elaborated. "This type of sun, a sun that looks orange popsicle."

When she remained silent, he said, "Being here isn't so bad. I mean, it's not New York, but maybe I needed something new, you know?"

"Well, you know what they say," Annabeth said quietly. Percy looked at her, she flushed scarlet, but she still stammered out her sentence. "A-All ends are also beginnings."

Percy grinned. "I think you're right about that one, Wise Girl."

She looked inquisitively at him. "Just go with it," he said, ruffling her hair fondly.

Annabeth fixed him a stony glare, but he continued grinning at her.

The drive back home was conducted in a similar fashion with Percy singing obnoxiously loud. They pulled in at around dinner time and as they stepped out of the car, Annabeth turned around to look at him.

"Thanks," she said softly.

Percy's eyes dilated in surprise before he nodded. "Any time."

Annabeth shuffled her way inside as Percy stood out on the driveway. Inside his gut, he felt a sensation of warmth blossoming inside. He knew now that he could help Annabeth, and he was determined to succeed.

* * *

**A/N: w00t, update! College apps are really sucking up my time, but if I am being honest, I was honestly just being lazy. This story is going to take on a light-hearted "Wolf's Law" feeling. It's going to discuss family, social isolation, and what we can make of our lives. There isn't anything out of the ordinary except for Annabeth's sociophobia because I really want this to be about how awesome and beautiful life can be. You'll see more of what I mean later, but Percy and Annabeth spontaneous drive is a precursor to it. Anyhow, I hope you all like it, and as always: Follow, Favorite, and Review!**


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